Jem xOC 'cause he deserves a happy ending
by A.memory.or.two
Summary: So, I really like Jem and I think Tessa should choose him, but I believe that in the end, she'll choose Will. So, I figured, maybe I could give Jem his happy ending... read a better description on the inside. NOW A TWO-SHOT!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! =) So, this is my first fanfic, although I've read hundreds of them already. It is based on Cassandra Clare's **_**Clockwork Angel**_**… I personally prefer Jem, and I think Tessa should be with him, but I believe she will choose Will in the end. So, I thought, Jem could have his happy ending as well (as ironic as it may sound… poor Jem, I hope there'll be a cure for him). In this one-shot, I introduced a new girl – Laura – and this is set at a shadowhunter party. Laura has spent the last few months in the London institute (I actually have a backup story for all that's happened and why she's there, but I just don't have the time to type it right now :/). So, on with the story! And if you have any doubts, feel free to ask =)**

**Disclaimer: Everything except for Laura belongs to the amazing Cassandra Clare. **

She stood in the middle of the sea of dresses and looked up to him. He was staring at the outside sky, his silvery eyes shining along with the moon. She silently moved towards him, letting his presence overtake her just for a brief second before she paused right next to him.

"Hey," he said, smiling, his eyes glinting as they always did. "Has something happened?" he asked, taking a closer look at her.

"No, nothing really. Just talked to my parents, and it wasn't exactly… a very pleasant conversation" she murmured in a low voice, that nonetheless she knew he could hear.

"Oh. You know they are just not used to what's happening. You shouldn't bother too much with what they say about your behavior… or lack of it" he said jokingly, but in a tone that had no offense implied in it.

"You're right. It's just… nevermind. It's too much of a beautiful night to spoil it" she answered, smiling back at him.

"Wanna take a walk? It might distract you." he suggested, offering his hand. She nodded and her heart thumped loudly the second he grasped her hand – not lightly like he usually did, but with a strong, firm grip. They walked in silence; she had no idea where they were headed to, but she really didn't care. She was better off with Jem at the brink of the world than with someone else in heaven.

"You know, there's something clearly prettier than this night to me" he said in a soft voice, and gestured towards a big rock for them to sit in.

"The moon?" she asked, her lips twitching upwards "it is, indeed. "

"The moon is no doubt beautiful. But I think it's only fair that you know that right now, you are more" he answered in a deep, yet soft voice. Laura felt her hands shaking the slightest bit, and the blood flushing through her cheeks. A heat of wave surrounded her, and she couldn't quite find an answer to give him.

"I've always thought of the moon as the most beautiful thing in the world, you know… but the moment I met you, I knew I was wrong. And then… and then, I just was so, so surprised…" she seemed to be struggling to keep the words coming out, and was looking down, a bit ashamed "Because, you could be really handsome in the outside, but I'd never have expected you to be so beautiful in the inside. Which you are. Just like the moon. You have phases and you change like everyone else, but you remain constant over time. You are trustworthy; just the moon can keep secrets. And, contrarily to the sun, you do not harm anyone, at least not on purpose. And your eyes… they have the same tone as the moon, exactly the same one. Yes… you're totally like the moon." She fell silent and felt her body shake again, not so much by the freezing wind that was blowing but more due to the effects her words might held in the future.

He stared at her for a while, his mouth slightly opened in shock. For the first time since she had known him, he seemed to be struggling for words, just like her. Now was it, Laura thought. Either he confessed he felt the same, or he'd apologise, saying that he was sorry, but couldn't correspond her feelings. There was still a third option… but she didn't want to think of that one just yet.

"What kind of a monster would I be" he said in a whisper "if I just let you be with me, even knowing that I am about to die?"

Laura felt the despair rise in her. Had he chosen the third option? "I think," she begun in a shaky voice "I'm wise enough to decide about that question. And it doesn't matter to me."

"It does to me. It does to me!" he screamed this time. Laura had never seen him scream before; he had risen up to his feet and was breathing heavily against the big rock. "How do you think I'd feel, knowing that I could die tomorrow. Maybe the day after tomorrow, maybe next week, I have no idea. You'd be better of with someone… someone who isn't dying. Someone with whom you can have a big, happy life! "

"Jem, please! I don't want anyone else. I'd rather have you for a year, than someone else for the rest of my life..."

Jem made a strange sound, almost like a strangled one. He took many sharp breaths to calm down, and then pushed his shoulders to the front. He stared at her with an icy glare… a glare she'd never seen him wear before, either. "Laura. I hoped I wouldn't have to say this, but… I like you, I really do. Like family. But there's nothing other than that. Nothing else."

Laura froze, dumbfounded. Had he said… had he chosen option 2? Had she been wrong all this time? One thing was to try to convince him she didn't care about his illness, but if he didn't like her… there was nothing she could do about it, was there? She felt the tears that wanted to come down her cheeks, and she struggled to pull them away; but she didn't manage to do so. Lifting herself up, she forced a smile.

"I'm sorry, Jem. I want you to know that we… I hope we can be friends like before. You don't have to worry about this anymore; I won't bring it up, ever again." And with that, she turned away and started walking at a fast pace, not wanting him to hear the sobs that escaped her mouth.

By the time she started walking away from him, Jem felt himself collapse onto the floor, his chest aching. He curled up in a ball; he'd rather die now, than feel this pain. But much worse than that, was the pain he had caused her. It was all his fault; he knew he shouldn't have been so close to her in the last few months. He wanted her to have a normal, happy life with someone she deserved – but he wanted her as well; he'd even found himself thinking about funny stories to tell her and make her happy, everyday. This, of course, was just an excuse to spend more time with her; they spent all their spare time together. When he had told her about his illness… She had cried, a lot. She wanted to search desperately for a cure, which he told her not to do. That night, they had slept together, not like Will would "sleep" with a girl, but just finding comfort and security in each other's arms… But, she deserved better. She should live long and have lots of kids, whom she loved. He smiled at that memory, but afterwards let the pain slide in again, rocking back and forth.

Laura had stopped walking not further away from where they had been seated; she couldn't really see anything anymore, as her vision was a blur. She was not only hurt by what Jem had said, but more by the way he had said it. He was never rude, and he never lost his temper. Why be so mean to her, when a simple "I'm sorry, but I can't correspond your feelings" would be enough? Shaking her head, she replayed the scene again and again. Could he be lying to her? Trying to make sure she'd find "someone better"? Her head was spinning with doubts and not a single answer. Staring at the starred sky, she noticed that all the stars were lightly less shiny than just ten minutes ago, thus making the moon overtake the sky as her own. She never knew what gave her the courage to go back to talk to him again; perhaps her pride was just so shattered that it didn't mind one more blow, or perhaps she had just lost it for good. Either way, she went back silently, only to find Jem curled in a ball, his hands firmly attached to his knees. Laura gulped some air, as if to build her courage. "Jem?"

"Lau?" Jem seemed shocked to find her here. "Are you alright? Did someone hurt you?" He looked genuinely concerned, but the sentences just seemed torturously ironic to Laura. And he had called her by the nickname he had made up; no one else ever called her that.

"Jem, I just want to tell you something, and then I really promise I'll leave." She sat on the ground next to him, every bit of her afraid to say the words. "If you don't like me, like you said, I'll leave you alone for good. But if… if you're just looking for the easiest way not to be with me, just because you're afraid of what might happen to me… then, you're just being selfish. And a coward" she finished, shaking. She had not meant the part about him being a coward; actually, he was the last person on this earth she could think of calling a coward. But she wanted some reaction from him, something…

"A coward? A COWARD? For protecting you? For wanting you to be happy?" he answered, his voice slightly higher than usual. "For giving up on you, so you could live a normal life?"

"We don't know how long do you still have to live. And most shadowhunters die young. It wouldn't make that much of a difference. Each one of us can get killed everyday, while doing our job!" she yelled, exasperated.

"It's not the same thing! You don't know what it's like… you have no idea…" Jem had put his head on his hands, looking very fragile all of a sudden. "You don't know what it'd do to you, either. You have a radious smile, and I don't want you to lose it. Which you would, living with the constant doubt I would bring into your life."

"Don't you dare," she snapped, suddenly furious "don't you DARE telling me I WOULD live with that constant doubt. Don't you think I already live with it? That everyday I wake up in the morning and the first thing I do is sneak a glance into your bedroom, to make sure you lived to see another day?"

"You… you do?" Jem asked, his voice a strange mixture of shock, worry, and sweetness.

"Yes, I do! I've done it for the past few months. Us being together or not… it doesn't change that! I'll always be worried about you, whether you let me or not. And," she said accusingly "for your will, I wouldn't even be searching for a cure!"

"What! You're looking for a cure?" he sounded astonished. "I… I don't want you to. There's no cure. It's worthless" he murmured, his voice barely a whisper again. "Besides… searching for a cure, it would only be wasting your time. And I like spending time with you, so don't waste it on…"

"Have I ever… EVER not spent time with you? Every bit of every free moment?" Laura asked, her voice equally low.

"Oh!" Jem seemed surprised once more, as he reached his mouth with his index finger and slipped his tongue across it. Then, very slowly, he reached for the skin just below her eyes, and wiped it. As the rice powder slowly washed off, he could see a very pronounced black ring. "You have been trying to find a cure while you're supposed to be sleeping and getting some rest?" his voice was emotionless.

"Yes." She answered in a challenging tone, though her cheeks were bright red again.

"I don't know if I should feel like the worst person in the world," Jem said very slowly, his eyes closed "or if I should just feel like the luckiest one. I really don't know…" he opened his eyes abruptly, staring at her in disbelief. "I don't know if I should feel ashamed for what I'm forcing you to do…"

"You're not forcing me to do anything. I did it on my own will. It was just the right thing to do, you know…" she said it as if it were the most obvious thing.

"Lau." He was pleading now; she could see his barriers, the ones he'd never used before around her, or anyone that she knew of, crumbling down. It _could_ be a matter of time until he realized that he shouldn't let his illness rule his life…

"Jem." She said his name in a very sweet manner she reserved only for him. "Jem, please. Tessa told me you once said that you were better than this, than it's hold on you. And you are. You're the bravest person I know. So, please, don't let it tighten it's hold on you. You can't let it rule what you'll do or not do. Please," she was begging now; this was her last chance " please, at least consider it."

They were standing very close to each other now, and Laura could feel his hot breath on her cheeks, see every inch of his face, not that she didn't know it by heart. He was still staring at her, a pained expression on his face.

"Lau… I really want you to be happy. You deserve it, more than anyone. You're one of the most selfless persons I know. And I feel like such a monster, as if I were holding you in chains. Trapping you… your future" he was the one shaking this time, and Laura couldn't stand it anymore: she hugged him tightly, just like they had done so many times before. People always thought they were brotherly hugs, but of course, for Laura, they were so much more than that. Brothers didn't hug that much; they didn't sleep hugged the whole night, didn't wake up with their legs entangled in each other's…

Laura had her head resting in Jem's shoulder, as he had his in hers, and it just felt… good. Then, she gave him a very, very light kiss in the neck. She hadn't planned to do so, and was not trying to win this fight that way – or maybe she was, uncounsciously. She meant it as a sign that she was there, and he could count on her; but Jem froze right away, and took a step back. She felt like kicking herself; she had ruined it all now. She felt the tears again, coming at the corners of her eyes, and didn't try to stop them. A single tear came down her cheek, and to her surprise, Jem gave her a little kiss, capturing it. She hold still, afraid that the slightest movement could shove him away again.

He was now slowly moving his face, his lips brushing her skin and leaving a hot trail that burned her; he stopped just before he reached her mouth, and she could feel him closing his eyes, as his eyelashes brushed her skin as well. "Are you sure," asked Jem, his voice very low once again "that this is what you want?"

"Yes." She was shaking again, but her voice was steady. "Yes, this is exactly what I want. I want you, Jem."

"Angel forgive me," Jem said trembling "for being so weak." – And with that, he moved his face just a tiny little bit more, and his lips brushed hers for a long moment. Then, very tenderly (which was so like Jem), he kissed her, and she kissed right back. They were being very slow and careful, as if not to break the magic of the moment; he slowly cupped her cheeks, then her hair, and finally embraced her, as she just stroked his smooth, silky hair, then letting her hands rest on his neck and shoulders. Laura felt a bit dizzy from all the sweetness that was radiating around them, as if she were tasting the flavour of the best chocolate she had ever tasted. His lips brushed very lightly against hers again, before he kissed her once more. Just, this time it was less controlled, more fierce.

She kissed him hard, letting all the worries go ahead in the kiss. All the despair she'd felt, all the nightmares she'd had. But also, and most importantly, all the passion she held, all the love she had for him, all the desire that had been aching to be freed. Jem bit her lower lip and she was surprised to hear herself moan; she felt him smile against her lips, and smiled as well. Then, very slowly, she traced the contour of his lips with her tongue, and felt him gasp with the surprise. After all, she was a lady, and ladies weren't supposed to do that kind of stuff… she knew. But he didn't seem to mind as he parted his lips, also slowly sliding his tongue to meet hers, both of them giving in to the desire they felt. Laura couldn't tell how long that kiss had lasted (not enough, for sure) before they backed a little, both breathing heavily.

Jem pulled his head so they were touching each other's forehead and nose, leaning on each other. "You know," Jem laughed a little, gentle one of his laughs "we can even give an Eskimo kiss right now" he continued, rubbing his nose against hers. Laura laughed as well, rubbing her nose in his. Suddenly, the world seemed a lot brighter; she just wanted to laugh, dance, scream, run wildly, and, of course, kiss Jem.

"I love you" said Jem in his quiet voice "I might be the worst man in the world for letting you get involved this way, but… I love you." He stared at her, his eyes shining along with the moonlight. Laura's heart skipped a beat, not a painful one at all. "And I love you" she whispered against his lips, feeling him shiver at her words. Jem held out his hand for her, which she took immediately, and pulled her to the ground next to him. They just stared at each other for a long time, before she reached for him, needing to feel the pressure of his mouth against hers again, as if to make sure it hadn't all been a dream. Jem complied, smiling as they shared another tender, sweet kiss. It didn't prevent them from being held out of oxygen again though, and so they parted, hugging tightly. They just stood there, lying on the ground, legs entangled, just taking in each other's scent. There could be nothing better than that.

**So, please, review! Constructive criticism is welcome :D sorry if there are any mistakes, as English is not my mother language (point them out for me if you see them! Thanks)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! :D So, this is another one-shot of Jem and Laura, and it is a **_**prequel**_** to the other one (yeah, how cliché! lol). I want to thank everyone who reviewed the first one-shot, for the comments and the corrections ****. Some people asked me if this was going to be a story. Well, I'll leave it up for you to decide. If you think Laura is worth it to be with Jem and would like to read their story, please tell me something! =D**

Laura was rolling around on her bed; she really couldn't seem to sleep tonight. Maybe it was the thick layer of hot air that surrounded her, maybe it was just her mind being restless. Well, she couldn't say she didn't expect it, did she? Ever since Jem had told her about his "condition" – which was a true euphemism for it – she hadn't been able to get any sleep. Every night, she would research hours on end to try and find a cure, but so far, she had came up with nothing at all.

She shifted uncomfortably and sat upright. Damn. There had to be something she could do to help him. He was dying! Dying, dying, dying. And no one really seemed to care about it. Ok, she knew they did, but… it was not the kind of concern she wanted to see. Even (especially!) him would dismiss it; he always tried to deviate the subject when she tried to bring it. And so, here she was – desperately wanting to talk to someone about it, but finding no one to do so. Maybe Tessa? But Tessa was really not feeling well, with all the stress going on in her life, and she really didn't want to upset her even more. She knew Tessa cared for Jem, and for her, that was enough.

Suddenly, she heard voices down the hall. Did that mean that maybe the boys were back from their mission? Charlotte hadn't let her come with them, arguing that it was beyond her limits, and nothing she said convinced her of otherwise, so she was stuck here. But now, they were arriving and her heart felt a lot lighter. Climbing from the bed, she put on her shoes and left the bedroom, following the sound, only to find Charlotte and Jessamine having an argument.

"He could have been seriously hurt! Where were you then? Huh? Jessamine, you do realize that your acts have consequences? Jem could have died!" Charlotte was yelling at her, her voice growing louder with each word. "Always that stupid thing of no-fighting! We must protect each other's back! He saved your life, and you almost got him killed in return!"

Jessamine seemed really ashamed and didn't answer, bowing her head down as Charlotte spoke. Laura felt a sudden contraction in her chest and the pain that took her breath away was a very bitter one. "Is he gonna be ok?" She asked, looking at Charlotte directly in the eyes.

"Oh! Laura, I didn't realize you were there. I…. uh… Yeah, I think he is. He's been taken care of…" Charlotte's voice was calm, but her hands were shaking lightly.

"Where is he?" Laura had to see him, make sure he was still there. Sure, he was dying and she knew it, but not today… please, please, not today. "In his room. Maybe we should let him rest…" Laura didn't really care to answer; she runned to Jem's room, praying that she's find him well and alive in there. She reached his door, panting slightly, and knocked.

"Yes?"

"Can I come in, please?"

"Oh! Sure. I thought you were resting. You've been working too hard." Jem gave her a weak smile, motioning for her to come and sit in his bed. Laura was staring at him, looking for any signs that could tell her how he felt; and pretty sure, he had a pained expression as he laid back again.

"Jem! I just found out what happened. How're you feeling? Was it that bad?"

"I'm feeling much better now", he answered in his soft voice, smiling again a bit. "No need to worry. I'm almost fine."

"Funny, how your definition of almost is so different from mine…" Laura replied, sitting close to Jem. She reached out and touched his forearm, feeling the usual coldness that characterized him. He looked at her through his long lashes, an exhausted expression visible in his eyes; the glimpse that she had became so used to was now not noticeable.

"Really, I'm fine, Lau. Don't worry about me. How are things with you?"

"Let's see, my best friend almost got killed and he's trying to convince me that everything's ok… he seems so tired and drained that his eyes are not even shining as usual… oh, I'm perfectly fine. Why wouldn't I be? You… you could have died!" She screamed the last sentence, shaking her head. "How do you think things are with me?" She said, exasperated. Jem seemed a bit taken aback by her outburst, so she immediately regretted it. "I'm sorry!" She said hurriedly, "I didn't mean to lose my temper. You must be exhausted, and in need to sleep. Sorry. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Jem laughed a little, bowing his head back. "I really don't know how these mood swings work with you. But you're right, I'm feeling quite tired. But I can't seem to sleep…" He answered, frowning a little. "I'd sing you to sleep, but my voice is terrible" Laura replied, smiling a bit at him, and Jem laughed again, the shining jolt returning to his eyes. Laura couldn't help but notice how he became so sweet, so fragile and innocent, when he was laughing, so very smoothly. Her heart jolted with another wave of pain, for the known fact that it could be a matter of months, weeks or even days until that laughter was silenced…

"But not today!"

"Huh? Sorry Lau, I didn't understand what you said." Jem said, looking at her.

"I didn't say anything, Jem…" the girl answered with a confused expression. "You said: 'But not today'…" Jem explained, tilting his head to the side. "Oh! I didn't mean to say it out loud." Laura explained, her cheeks flushing. He couldn't figure what she had been thinking just from that single sentence, could he?

"Oh. Ok, I will not intrude then. You must also be very tired, you should get some sleep…" Jem said, and Laura noticed his eyes were back to the un-shining tone. "My voice might be terrible, but maybe I can still do something to help you sleep…". They were standing very close to each other, and Laura reached for his silver hair and tangled her fingers there, letting her fingertips lazily trace some contours in his scalp. Jem closed his eyes and moaned a little – just the smallest bit, but Laura could feel her whole body shivering.

This was definitely not the appropriate behavior for a young lady like her, to think of such a way about a young boy. But she couldn't help herself. It was just a thought, really. Not that anything was ever going to happen…

"Hmmm." Jem mumbled, sighing, and opened his eyes. He stared tiredly at her, not letting her un-glue her eyes from his. He scooted a bit to the side and patted the bed next to him; Laura sat close to him, sliding underneath the sheets, and reached for his silvery hair once again.

He was laying on his pillow, and she was sitting next to him, her right hand working lazily again, trying to ease the pressure he must had been feeling all day. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Laura felt him grab her left hand and forearm, starting to trace some patterns in there himself. His touch was smooth, silky, and Laura pressed herself a bit further to him, sliding down slowly until she was laying on the pillows as well. She had never been this close to him, and she could feel her heartbeat increasing. That… that felt heavenly. There was nothing better that she could think of, than laying there with him. Well, of course there could be… wait, no, forget it. Improper thoughts alert!

Turning himself slowly so he could look at her, Jem slid his hands through her arm, and up to her shoulders, never stopping to trace patterns that looked like runes. Laura let her free hand do the same, massaging his back a little; she accidentally slid her hand beneath his shirt, and felt him shiver. 'No improper thoughts, no improper thoughts' she chanted in her head, trying to distract herself.

"I feel much better now", Jem whispered, and she felt his hot breath tickle the skin on her neck, giving her the chills, "Thank you for staying."

"I wish I could really make you feel better… without anything to worry about", she whispered back, biting her lip. "What do you mean?" Jem asked, confused. "I feel much better, and right now, there's nothing that worries me…" "I mean… I wish I could help you with your… 'condition'. I wish I could help you find a cure." Jem stiffened a little, and Laura cringed and cursed herself for bringing up the subject. She could feel the pain stabbing her again in the heart, and looked up at Jem, shamefully.

"Lau… don't worry about it", Jem said, although his voice was pained, "That can't be helped, and I'm not in favour of losing time to lost causes. We have to just enjoy what we've got. And right now, I can't bring myself to care about it". Laura looked away from his eyes, and buried her face in his neck, aspiring his scent. He gasped a little in surprise, but after a few moments of hesitation, embraced her. "I know, it's just… I can't imagine a world, or a life without you. It's just SO unfair. You're such a good person, Jem. You don't deserve any of this…"

"Shh", he whispered again, this time in her ear, "shhh, sweetheart. It's going to be ok. I' ve accepted it. I just want you to be happy, so we can still enjoy whatever time we have left. You might not believe it, but you've made my life a lot happier. I want yours to be happier too…"

"I'm happy now! I just wanted to have some kind of reassurance that my happiness wasn't gonna end anytime soon. I'm always afraid, and…" Jem stiffened again, and Laura wanted to cut her tongue for the second time tonight. "I'm sorry that you have to live with that doubt, Lau. I really am." His voice was soft, but there was a trace of pain in it. And, she could tell, he was making an effort in order not to speak rudely to her. "Perhaps it would be better if we…"

"No!" Laura yell-whispered, terrified of what he might say. "I'm so sorry, Jem. I might have said this in a way that doesn't correspond exactly to my feelings. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't even mean to upset you. I'm just concerned, and I can't stop thinking about how unfair this is. I just… I'm scared, Jem. I'm scared… I'm so scared for you! I'm sorry… I shouldn't even have brought up the subject. Can we just pretend this didn't happen?" She asked, trembling a bit.

"No, I'm afraid we can't", Jem answered, but his tone was soft without effort again. "I mean… ok. We can worry about that tomorrow, if you promise me not to talk about it tonight." "I promise", Laura whispered, relieved, burying her face in the crook of his neck again. "I really, really like you, Jem", she said in a low tone, fidgeting with the collar of his shirt. She couldn't help but to breathe in his scent, a little bit more than she should…

"And I am very glad that you do so. You make my life a lot more colourful. Thank you for that", he replied, lifting her head. "Remember when you told me about your life in Idris?", he asked, suddenly. "Hum, yeah…" "Remember that story, one of the tales your nanny told you… that there were 2 best friends, that were very tired and desperate, just trying to forget about the world?" he questioned, raising one eyebrow.

"Of course, it's one of my favourites…" "You never told me the end… could you, please?". It was Laura's turn to stiffen a bit; if only he knew… and especially now, that they were hugging each other…

"Oh. Well… They were, indeed, desperate. They just wanted to leave the world behind them, and think of something happy for a change, but everyone was trying to make them see the reality of the world they lived in. You see, there was a huge war and the boy was condemned to go and fight… the thing was, no one who was sent had ever came back... ever. He needed a distraction… and so, one night, the night before he went, he went to her house to see her for the last time. And instead of crying, she just pulled him in and kissed him. They spent the whole night in each other's arms, and that way they forgot, if only for about a few hours, that the destiny was already traced for them…"

"Weren't they best friends?" Jem asked, confused. "Yeah…" "But they liked each other?" "I'm not sure. I think, either they did, or it was just their… 'fraternal' love, expressed in a different way… if you see what I mean?" Laura answered, hoping he wouldn't see her blush. Jem seemed to be pondering the situation.

"I guess I can understand your point of view… But still, it is a strange story." "Not that much…" "You don't think so?" he questioned, pulling her a bit closer to him. Laura couldn't quite believe they were having this conversation, when their lips where only separated by the distance of a hand. "No, not at all…" Jem did a strange, strangled noise, and put his index fingertip on her lips, tracing them slowly. Laura couldn't move, couldn't breathe: all she could think of was Jem, his silvery aura surrounding him, his lips so, so close to hers…

"I wonder… I'd like to ask you the same thing, to make me forget... But that wouldn't be proper, adequate, or fair to you." He said in a quiet, barely audible voice. Laura's eyes widened again; what could she answer?

"I'm sorry, I was really not thinking clearly. We should probably get some sleep", Jem continued, his cheeks tainted with a smooth shade of red, as he gave an apologetic look and started to untangle himself from her. Laura couldn't quite find the voice to tell him she wouldn't mind; she's do anything for him. But, at the loss of contact, she cringed and winced a bit, as if in pain.

"Are you ok? Did I hurt you?" Jem asked, alarmed, his eyes travelling up and down as he inspected her for any signs of injuries. "No, no, I'm fine. It's just… I can't sleep alone tonight. Can I please sleep here with you?"

"I wasn't sending you away… just giving you some space, for you to decide whether or not to stay", he replied, still looking a bit ashamed. Laura let out a sigh and tangled herself in his body again, not really caring about what he might think at the point. He seemed surprised once more, but hugged her tightly, holding her against him. As they were shifting a bit to try and find the best position to sleep, their lips brushed the slightest bit. Laura felt an electric jolt pumping through her veins, as Jem gasped in surprise. None of them moved; they were just staring at each other, completely silent.

That was, until Jem decided to move towards her, transforming the touch into a kiss. Laura kissed him back without a blink, not really thinking about it. The kiss was short (or so it seemed), innocent, even pure. Blissful. Jem pulled away, his expression ashamed again, pulled back a strand of her hair that had fallen, and gave her a light kiss in the forehead. "I'm sorry, Lau. But thank you, for making me forget for a minute."

Laura was still too shocked to reply, so she just shrugged and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Sleep well, Lau. Thank you for being here… for me." "Your welcome, Jem. I'll always be here, for you…" she answered back, sighing again and resting her head in his chest. Jem was holding her so tightly she could hardly breathe, and she knew that this didn't mean anything ('fraternal love', she'd callen it), but still…

None of them knew, but they'd wake up with their legs entangled in each other's, Laura sleeping practically half on top of him, one of his hands on her back, the other on her tigh, while hers were on his back and hair. They'd sleep peacefully, better than they'd have in months. They would hate to untangle themselves in the morning, aching for the touch to come back, but they wouldn't tell each other any of that. So, they'd just cover it up by the constant hugs, the 'sleepovers', the poking each other. None of them knew what the other felt and, so, they'd just touch each other every time they could, both pretending they had no idea of that.

**So, please, tell me what you think, and about any mistake I might have made. A huge thank you! :D**


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